New Deal and Welfare to Work

Dai Havard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on public investment in the new deal and welfare to work measures.

Des Browne: Since 1997, this Government has invested over£3 billion in New Deal, helping nearly 1.4 million people into work, and contributing to a 600,000 fall in unemployment, and to over 2 million more people in work.

Advisers

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the occasions in 2004–05, when an unpaid adviser undertook travel on public business and claimed expenses, broken down by (a) name of adviser, (b) dates and destinations of travel and (c) cost to public funds.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my noble Friend the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 2 February 2005, Official Report, column WA54.

Special Needs (London)

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding has been allocated to special needs provision in each London borough in each of the last eight years.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is only available from 2000–01 onwards and is contained within the following table:
	
		Budgeted net expenditure on the education of children with special educational needs1, 2 £
		
			 Local authority name 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 
		
		
			 City of London 202,000 242,000 336,000 401,000 432,000 398,000 
			 Barking and Dagenham 9,383,000 6,293,000 11,935,000 12,812,000 15,361,000 17,273,000 
			 Barnet 26,197,000 26,090,000 26,784,000 31,236,000 33,519,000 35,919,000 
			 Bexley 14,451,000 16,754,000 17,731,000 21,465,000 21,511,000 23,460,000 
			 Brent 15,181,000 16,626,000 17,099,000 18,891,000 23,316,000 25,070,000 
			 Bromley 16,356,000 16,987,000 16,549,000 23,357,000 22,286,000 27,542,000 
			 Camden 9,490,000 14,215,000 13,056,000 15,388,000 16,790,000 19,673,000 
			 Croydon 20,241,000 22,008,000 21,252,000 24,969,000 25,453,000 29,434,000 
			 Ealing 19,895,000 20,347,000 22,588,000 23,075,000 24,729,000 25,931,000 
			 Enfield 19,814,000 20,172,000 19,667,000 23,536,000 26,770,000 27,851,000 
			 Greenwich 20,336,000 19,883,000 21,328,000 23,425,000 26,412,000 27,615,000 
			 Hackney 17,296,000 18,172,000 18,690,000 20,443,000 23,688,000 35,951,000 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 8,256,000 8,045,000 9,280,000 10,297,000 12,558,000 13,901,000 
			 Haringey 14,782,000 16,974,000 20,411,000 21,628,000 26,314,000 27,455,000 
			 Harrow 14,763,000 13,181,000 12,030,000 14,794,000 18,630,000 20,632,000 
			 Havering 9,333,000 9,595,000 9,607,000 10,842,000 11,452,000 12,489,000 
			 Hillingdon 15,789,000 18,143,000 19,137,000 21,263,000 23,350,000 23,908,000 
			 Hounslow 14,772,000 16,092,000 16,395,000 20,330,000 21,412,000 23,867,000 
			 Islington 11,796,000 10,973,000 12,466,000 15,930,000 18,090,000 19,091,000 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 7,636,000 7,123,000 5,460,000 6,869,000 7,434,000 8,093,000 
			 Kingston upon Thames 7,764,000 9,025,000 10,363,000 10,671,000 12,073,000 13,095,000 
			 Lambeth 20,672,000 21,775,000 20,900,000 23,896,000 26,150,000 27,537,000 
			 Lewisham 15,996,000 17,092,000 17,190,000 27,098,000 27,139,000 27,051,000 
			 Merton 11,422,000 12,169,000 12,696,000 13,467,000 14,001,000 16,888,000 
			 Newham 19,623,000 21,807,000 24,554,000 28,901,000 31,592,000 37,180,000 
			 Redbridge 12,670,000 13,658,000 14,655,000 16,587,000 19,880,000 20,907,000 
			 Richmond upon Thames 6,228,000 8,651,000 7,935,000 10,085,000 11,679,000 12,170,000 
			 Southwark 20,278,000 21,253,000 20,208,000 23,129,000 26,440,000 28,224,000 
			 Sutton 11,443,000 12,880,000 15,259,000 16,863,000 18,707,000 20,432,000 
			 Tower Hamlets 24,829,000 24,946,000 22,926,000 27,202,000 29,593,000 33,297,000 
			 Waltham Forest 14,395,000 15,119,000 18,181,000 17,295,000 19,097,000 22,321,000 
			 Wandsworth 17,511,000 18,312,000 18,815,000 19,980,000 25,704,000 27,833,000 
			 Westminster 8,314,000 8,814,000 9,760,000 11,901,000 12,750,000 17,506,000 
		
	
	(7) Includes planned expenditure on the provision for pupils with statements and the provision for non-statemented pupils with SEN, support for inclusion, inter authority recoupment, fees for pupils at independent special schools and abroad, educational psychology service, local authority functions in relation to child protection, therapies and other health related services, parent partnership, guidance and information, the monitoring of SEN provision and inclusion administration, assessment and co-ordination. Also included is the funding delegated to primary and secondary schools identified as "notional SEN" and the individual schools budget (ISB) for special schools.
	(8) The ISB for special schools will include some general education costs for pupils with SEN in addition to those costs specifically for SEN while the figures recorded against "notional SEN" are only indicative of the amount that might be spent by schools on SEN and, from 2004–05 onwards, "notional SEN" delegated to nursery schools was reported on Section 52 for the first time and this accounts for £2.7million and £3.3million of the 2004–05 and 2005–06 London totals respectively. In 2005–06, local authorities in London also budgeted £90million for SEN transport expenditure but this is not included in the above table as figures are not available prior to 2005–06.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are as reported by the LEA in cash terms as at 10 October 2005 and are rounded to the nearest thousand pounds and may not sum due to rounding.
	2. 2005–06 data is provisional and is subject to change by the local authority.

Abortions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed in (a) Essex and (b) Bedford and Hertfordshire Strategic Health Authority on girls aged (i) 10, (ii) 11, (iii) 12, (iv) 13, (v) 14, (vi) 15, (vii) 16 and (viii) 17 years of age in each year since 1975; and how many were performed to save the life of the pregnant woman.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Legal abortions: total number of abortions, number of abortions performed to save the life of the pregnant womana for residents of England and Wales, and number of abortions by age under 20b, to residents of Essexc and Bedfordshire and Hertfordshired 1975–2004
		
			  England and Wales 
			   Total Sections 1(1)(c) and 1(4) 
		
		
			 1975 106,224 1,076 
			 1976 101,912 959 
			 1977 102,677 851 
			 1978 111,851 691 
			 1979 120,611 605 
			 1980 128,927 687 
			 1981 128,581 766 
			 1982 128,553 666 
			 1983 127,375 543 
			 1984 136,388 599 
			 1985 141,101 539 
			 1986 147,619 486 
			 1987 156,191 482 
			 1988 168,298 490 
			 1989 170,463 356 
			 1990 173,900 440 
			 1991 167,376 380 
			 1992 160,501 256 
			 1993 157,846 166 
			 1994 156,539 147 
			 1995 154,315 126 
			 1996 167,916 131 
			 1997 170,145 121 
			 1998 177,871 108 
			 1999 173,701 95 
			 2000 175,542 137 
			 2001 176,364 61 
			 2002 175,932 (0.5%) 117 
			 2003 181,582 (0.6%) 137 
			 2004 185,415 128 
		
	
	
		
			   Essexc 
			  Total <15 <16 16 17 16–19 
		
		
			 1975 (9)2,807 e— 124 e— e— 616 
			 1976 2,666 e— 113 e— e— 611 
			 1977 2,763 e— 118 e— e— 627 
			 1978 2,954 e— 118 e— e— 676 
			 1979 3,230 e— 85 e— e— 783 
			 1980 3,366 e— 102 e— e— 818 
			
			 1981 (10)n/a e— n/a e— e— n/a 
			 1982 n/a e— n/a e— e— n/a 
			
			 1983 (11)1,805 e— 66 e— e— 444 
			 1984 1,997 e— 77 e— e— 77 
			 1985 2,074 e— 67 e— e— 67 
			 1986 1,879 e— 51 e— e— 51 
			 1987 2,003 e— 56 e— e— 507 
			 1988 2,462 e— 53 e— e— 628 
			 1989 2,524 e— 50 e— e— 630 
			 1990 2,447 e— 53 e— e— 568 
			 1991 2,532 e— 45 e— e— 501 
			 1992 2,386 e— 47 e— e— 461 
			
			 1993 (12)4,260 e— 85 e— e— 746 
			 1994 4,031 18 77 135 172 720 
			 1995 3,903 23 84 107 152 659 
			 1996 4,359 35 106 122 210 726 
			 1997 4,503 19 83 157 211 847 
			 1998 4,945 28 96 161 223 927 
			 1999 4,586 25 99 143 224 817 
			 2000 4,667 31 69 159 199 891 
			 2001 4,663 24 90 154 218 932 
			
			 2002 (13)4,626 23 87 139 247 908 
			 2003 4,772 34 91 149 224 936 
			 2004 4,897 24 97 140 243 968 
		
	
	
		
			   Bedfordshire and Hertfordshired 
			  Total <15 <16 16 17 16–19 
		
		
			 1975 (14)3,183 e— 100 e— e— 719 
			 1976 2,962 e— 101 e— e— 701 
			 1977 2,924 e— 104 e— e— 732 
			 1978 3,486 e— 83 e— e— 855 
			 1979 3,654 e— 100 e— e— 919 
			 1980 3,902 e— 117 e— e— 1,050 
			
			 1981 (15)3,851 e— 104 e— e— 781 
			 1982 3,593 e— 103 e— e— 948 
			 1983 3,677 e— 118 e— e— 968 
			 1984 4,198 e— 109 e— e— 1,129 
			 1985 4,253 e— 102 e— e— 1,152 
			 1986 4,381 e— 97 e— e— 1,079 
			 1987 4,361 e— 102 e— e— 1,071 
			 1988 4,788 e— 88 e— e— 1,160 
			 1989 4,858 e— 89 e— e— 1,065 
			 1990 4,801 e— 67 e— e— 1,484 
			 1991 4,623 e— 83 e— e— 890 
			
			 1992 (16)4,102 e— 64 e— e— 677 
			
			 1993 (17)4,301 e— 79 e— e— 589 
			
			 1994 (9) 0 4,143 35 79 106 130 655 
			 1995 4,224 22 71 134 180 708 
			
			 1996 (9)(10)4,581 17 74 41 191 810 
			 1997 4,907 21 82 122 254 906 
			 1998 5,012 25 84 134 248 945 
			 1999 5,255 25 103 135 225 939 
			 2000 4,995 23 93 139 219 949 
			
			 2001 (9)(10)5,028 31 111 137 219 903 
			
			 2002 (9)(11)5,045 23 82 160 218 876 
			 2003 5,466 32 98 149 224 932 
			 2004 5,203 28 100 145 206 922 
		
	
	a Section 1(1) (c) that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.
	Section 1 (4) that the termination is immediately necessary to save the life or to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.
	b Age groups shown are where totals are 10 or over and available.
	c There were boundary changes in Essex and comparable data in some years are not available.
	(9) Essex area health authority 1975–1980.
	(10) Comparative data for Essex not available 1981–82.
	(11) Includes district health authorities for Mid Essex, North East and West Essex from 1983 to 1992.
	(12) Includes health authorities for North Essex and South Essex from 1993 to 2001.
	(13) Essex strategic health authority. From 2002 includes primary care organisations for Basildon, Billericay, Brentwood and Wickford, Castle Point and Rochford, Chelmsford, Colchester, Epping Forest, Harlow, Maldon and South Chelmsford Southend-on-Sea, Tendring, Thurrock, Uttlesford, Witham, Braintree and Halstead.
	d There were boundary changes in Befordshire and Hertfordshire and comparable data in some years are not available.
	(14) Includes Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire area health authorities 1975–1980.
	(15) Includes district health authorities for Northern Bedfordshire, Southern Bedfordshire, North Hertfordshire, East Hertfordshire, North West Hertfordshire and South West Hertfordshire 1981–91.
	(16) Includes North Bedfordshire, South Bedfordshire, North West Hertfordshire, South West Hertfordshire district health authorities in 1992.
	(17) Includes North Bedfordshire, South Bedfordshire, North West Hertfordshire, South West Hertfordshire and East and North Hertfordshire district health authorities in 1993.
	(18) 0 Includes Bedfordshire, North West Hertfordshire, South West Hertfordshire and East and North Hertfordshire district health authorities 1994–95.
	(19)
	(20) Includes Bedfordshire, West Hertfordshire and East and North Hertfordshire Health Authorities 1996–2000.
	(21) Includes Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire health authorities in 2001.
	(22) Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire strategic health authority. From 2002 includes primary care organisations for Bedford, Bedfordshire Heartlands, Dacorum, Hertsmere, Luton, Northern Hertfordshire and Stevenage, Royston, Buntingford and Bishop's Stortford, South East Hertfordshire, St. Albans and Harpenden, Watford and Three Rivers, Welwyn Hatfield.
	e Not available.

Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority

Michael Jabez Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what special assistance was provided by the Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority to each of the trusts within the area in (a) 2002–02, (b) 2003–04, (c) 2004–05 and (d) the current financial year.

Caroline Flint: Information about special assistance from the NHS Bank to Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority (SHA) for 2002–03 to 2004–05 is shown in table 1. Special assistance has not been provided for 2005–06.
	Surrey and Sussex SHA has provided information about the distribution of the money to trusts within the area. This information is shown in table 2.
	
		Table 1: NHS Bank special assistance provided to Surrey and Sussex SHA for 2002–05
		
			  Amount (£ million) 
		
		
			 2002–03 30 
			 2003–04 40 
			 2004–05 20 
			 2005–06 0 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Distribution of NHS Bank special assistance to trusts within the area as provided by Surrey and Sussex SHA £000
		
			  2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 National health service trusts
			 Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust 9,500 18,650 13,000 
			 Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust 4,000 3,500 — 
			 Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 3,000 2,700 — 
			 Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust 2,000 7,250 7,000 
			 Royal West Sussex NHS Trust 1,500 — — 
			 Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust 7,500 5,900 — 
			 
			 Primary care trusts (PCTs)
			 Crawley PCT 688 — — 
			 East Surrey PCT 487 — — 
			 Horsham and Chactonbury PCT 575 — — 
			 Western Sussex PCT 750 — — 
			 Guildford and Waverley PCT — 2,000 — 
			 Total 30,000 40,000 20,000 
		
	
	Note:
	Special assistance is understood to mean NHS Bank support. No special assistance has been provided to Surrey and Sussex SHA for 2005–06.

Law Society

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the performance of the Law Society in meeting her target for the satisfactory handling of complaints, as determined by the Legal Services Complaints Commission, in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005 to date; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The Legal Services Complaints Commissioner (LSCC) was appointed in February 2004 to work with the Law Society to improve complaints handling. In September 2004 the LSCC set targets for the Law Society1 s performance for 2005—2006. The Law Society began formally reporting against those targets in April 2005.
	The Government is encouraged by the progress that the Law Society is making, as evidenced by its performance against the LSCC's targets for the first quarter. Nevertheless, the Government looks forward to continued improvement.
	The following table shows the Law Society's complaints handling performance in timeliness, customer satisfaction and quality of decisions against the LSCC targets. These figures are for the first quarter of 2005–06 (April to June 2005).
	
		Percentage
		
			  April 2005 to June 2005  LSCC target 
		
		
			 Cases cleared within:   
			 3 months 53 53 
			 6 months 74 75 
			 9 months 83 85 
			 12 months 89 92 
			 18 months 94 98 
			
			 Customer satisfaction 60 (25)68 
			
			 Quality of decision 62 (25)70 
		
	
	(25) The customer satisfaction and quality of decision targets have tolerance bands of 65–68 per cent. and 65–70 per cent. respectively. If the Society's performance falls within the tolerance bands, but below the target, they will not receive a penalty fine.
	Note:
	These figures are taken from the Website of the Office of the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner.
	
		Percentage
		
			  April 2004 to March 2005 DCA target 
		
		
			 Cases cleared within:   
			 3 months 51 60 
			 6 months 72 75 
			 9 months n/a (26)— 
			 12 months 88 85 
			 18 months 94 97 
			
			 Customer satisfaction 61 (26)— 
			
			 Quality of decision 62 75 
		
	
	(26) No target.
	Note:
	These figures are taken from the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner's Annual Report 2004–05.

Unsafe Gravestones

Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many cases of death or injury caused by unsafe gravestones were recorded in each of the last three years.

Harriet Harman: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 13 June 2005, Official Report, column 182W.

Dementia

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the implications are for dementia sufferers in Northern Ireland of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommendation that certain dementia medications should no longer be available through the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is reviewing its 2001 appraisal of medicines for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. As part of this review, the Institute has produced, and consulted on, draft preliminary recommendations that the drugs donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine and memantine should not be routinely used in treating new patients in the NHS. Following consultation, the institute has deferred publication of its final guidance on these drugs until early next year.
	The Department will consider what action is appropriate for Northern Ireland in light of the institute's final guidance on the dementia drugs.